Device supporting tracheal tube

Abstract

A device for supporting a tracheal tube during tracheal intubation. The device is applied to the blade of a laryngoscope, or similar instrument. It includes one or more planar elements, each element having a profile adapted to the curvature of the blade a the location in which it is placed. On command, each element protrudes out from the blade through a longitudinal groove, in order to create one or more fixed transversal walls. Once the walls are created, the tracheal tube is then inserted into the laryngoscope and its far end is moved across the walls, and towards the trachea of the patient. The device also includes a set of mechanical gears that are controlled by a sliding button such that moving the button from a back position to a front position moves each of the planar elements from the position within the blade to the protruding position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT International Patent Application PCT / EP2012 / 0061135, filed Jun. 12, 2012, designating the United States and published in English as International Patent Publication WO 2012 / 171926 A1 on Dec. 20, 2012, which claims the benefit, under Article 8 of the PCT, of European Patent Application Serial No. 11425158.0, filed Jun. 14, 2011, the benefit and entire disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention concerns a medical device, preferably applied to the blade of a laryngoscope, or an Airtraq® videolaryngoscope, or a LMA® videolaryngoscope, or other similar instrument, and particularly suitable as a support to the procedure of tracheal intubation of a patient. In particular, the device includes one or more planar elements, each having a profile that is perfectly adapted to the curvature of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a device that allows for easier and more accurate intubation during medical procedures. It can be integrated into a guiding system using magnetic means, making it easier to adapt to different situations. The device allows for a smaller size and improved efficiency due to reduced inter-foreteeth distance. It is also comfortable to use and does not require a stylet to define shape and profile. Overall, the device is designed to minimize trauma for patients and improve the effectiveness of medical procedures.

Problems solved by technology

Despite the improvement of such technique, obtained at a global level by years of clinical practice, and despite the different shapes of laryngoscopic blades that have been designed and are available on the market, in some cases, direct laryngoscopy remains impossible, either because of particular anatomical parts in a given person or because of particular situations that can happen in an emergency.

For example, direct laryngoscopy is not possible when the alignment of the patient's three axes (oral axis, pharyngeal axis and laryngeal axis) cannot be achieved by the standard actions that a physician knows and can perform.

Therefore, for a long time there was a widely recognized need to find some alternative instruments and techniques that would permit an optimal visualization of a glottis, even in cases where direct laryngoscopy results are not effective or are impossible.

First of all, the operator is forced to express strong actions of pulling and rotating the device, just in attempting, sometimes not effectively, to align properly the far end of the instrument to the tracheal axis.

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